Shafted
by cruiz107
Summary: I ghosted him so he shafted me.


Title: SHAFTED

Written for: Mina Dukes/mam4dukes

Written By: Cruiz107

Rating: T

Summary/Prompt used: For all the poeple Bella could be stuck in an elevator with, it had to be him

Pairing: Bella/Carlisle

I watched Carlisle's naked rear make its way to the bathroom. It was glorious in its perfection. Even at the age of forty, it could easily have been mistaken for that of a twenty something. I guess that was one of the perks of working out he that he had always talked about. I doubted that I'd ever find out for myself.

Tonight was the first night that I'd be sleeping over at his place. It was always my place that we'd make our way over to. That, or the closest, cleanest bathroom we could find.

My attraction to Carlisle was instant from the first night I saw him six months ago. We were at the same loung with different groups of people. I was with my work friends celebrating a recent promotion a co-worker received that day while he was with his group. One of his buddies had turned thirty-eight.

We had met outside the quiet club. I had needed a smoke break and he needed fresh air...which he never really got since I was only about six feet away from him. I caught the side eye he was giving me and I couldn't help but feel that his intention was defintely not to check me out. He had a clear distain for the stick that I was puffing on. Feeling more than a little self conscious, I extinguished the lit cigarette on the building wall with a mumbled apology.

"Those things will kill you, you know," he needlessly informed me.

"Yeah, I know," I replied. What else was there really to say. We stood there awkwardly – or at least I was felt awkward. This walking Truth commercial was disgustingly beautiful for a man. He had to be discribed as beautiful because handsome didn't do him justice. His yellow hair and blue eyes were that of an airbrushed GQ model.

"I'm Bella." I hurridly introduced myself when he started making his way back inside. I had no idea why I did. It wasn't like the club was big enough to get lost in. If I wanted to find him inside I could, but I didn't want to go back inside and I didn't want him to either.

He paused midstep with his hand already reaching for the door. His smirk was hypnotizing.

"I'm Carlisle." He didn't stay outside with me though. I watched as he smoothly walked through the damn door as if he coouldn't sense the fool I had made myself out to be. I waited another few minutes before going back inside myself. I wanted to give him enough time to make his way back to whichever table he was at with his friends.

I sulked back to my own table where no one bore witness to the idiot I had just been in front of the most good looking guy I'd ever seen. He was older than me but it couldn't have been by much. I scanned the room and much to my surprise I couldn't find him. With a deep sigh, I turned back to the rest of my group to partake in the celebration. I spotted Alice – my one real friend in the group – eyeing me as if she already knew. She did. It was confirmed when she mouthed the word bathroom to me. I nodded and together we made it to the ladies' room.

"So what happened outside?" she asked quickly while leaning on the sink. She wasn't one to beat around the bush. If she had a question she was going to ask and she was going to get her answer.

"Nothing _really_," I sighed. "I saw this extremely good looking guy who told me I was killing myself then went inside."

"...and that was it?" she questioned dubiously.

"I mean...I introduced myself, he told me his name, and _then_ he went inside. I guess he gave me two seconds of his time."

"Damn. That sucks," she intellectually pointed out.

"Yup," I sighed for what was probably the tenth time in five minutes. "He was gorgeous, Alice," I whined.

"So go find him," she suggested as it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No! If he had at least the smallest interest in me he would have stayed outside with me," I reasonably explained.

"This is true," she agreed. "Look, we're here to have a good time and to celebrate Lauren's promotion. Fuck him! It's the weekend, let's get messed up. We have the two days to recover."

And that's what we attempted to do. I was only one beer and two shots in when _he_ appeared next to me at the bar. I felt his eyes on me immediately but refused to look his way.

"Hi Bella," he greeted.

"Oh, hi...Carlisle," I returned. I smiled hesitantly, prepared this time for another rebuff.

"How's the rest of your night been?" he asked.

"Okay. Fun, I guess." He nodded approvingly. "And yours?"

"The same. I'm ready to leave, though. I'm too old for this."

I pulled my head back in shock. "How old are you, maybe thirty-four? That's not old."

His chuckle sexy. "I was thirty-four about six years ago, Bella."

My eyes widened. "There's no way you're forty." He nodded sadly, but jokingly. "Holy shit. I hope I look half as good as you when I'm forty."

"You're a long way from forty, Bella," he laughed.

"Eh, only ten years away," I corrected.

"Huh. Here I felt like a dirty old man for finding a twenty something execptionally sexy."

I was struck dumb. There was no other way around it. I had to pay close attention to my bodily functions because I was pretty sure I'd be drooling without realizing it.

"You kinda played me back there. Outside," I clarified. I needed to keep a cool head about this whole confounding meeting.

"Sorry about that. I didn't know how to go about it without being rude, but the cigarette smell was bothering me," he explained.

"...oh. Uh...okay." I sniffed myself. I could still smell the offensive odor in question, but it was faint.

I heard him laugh beside me. "I smell your perfume a lot more than I smell cigarette smoke."

We stayed at the bar for another hour talking and getting to know a little about each other. It wasn't until Alice came up to us with a speculative look. I nodded to let her know that yes, he was the guy I was telling her about.

"Hate to break this up, but I have to go. Jasper's not feeling well and thinks he's dying," she said with a roll of her eyes. Jasper was her husband and was notorious for being the most obnoxious patient. A simple cold knocked him off his feet for a week. Alice was my ride, though, so I guess I had to go as well.

I looked to Carlisle regrettfully. I wasn't ready for our night to end but I guessed the best I could do was to give him my number and hoped he called.

"I can take you home if that's okay with the both of you," he offered.

"Sure!" I agreed excitedly before Alice could kill my vibe. She looked wary, but she couldn't deny the pleading in my eyes. "I'll call you when I get home, Alice."

"You better," she demanded, giving Carlilse the stink eye. She walked backwards a few steps before eventually turning to leave.

"I'm sorry about her," I apologized to him. "She's my best friend and she worries," I explained.

"You don't have to apologize for having a good friend. Everyone deserves at least one."

"Do you have one?"

"I did," he answered solmnly. It was clearly a topic that we both wanted to steer clear of so we easily changed topics.

Conversation between us was great and the chemistry was greater. So great in fact that he woke up next to me the next morning.

We began seeing each other exclusively the months that followed. Pulling information from him was painful. He was a completely closed book that only distributed information when he felt it necessary. It was easy to ignore, though, becuase I just liked being around him. I think...I think I even loved him.

"Bella!" I was shook from memories as Carlisle waved his hand in my face, laughing. "You okay there, sweetheart?"

"Shut up," I chuckled. "I was just lost in thought. What's up?"

"I was asking if you wanted to go get lunch when I get out of the shower?"

"That'd be great, actually. I'm starving."

I still ogled his ass as he walked around the room to get fresh clothes. It wasn't until he left the bedroom that I got up to get dressed. We were up late into the morning and slept right through breakfast.

I dressed quickly and began picking up the clothes that Carlisle has left thrown about. As I picked up the slacks at the foot of the bed, I heard a clang of something hard hit the wooden floor. I spotted the object that had fallen from the floor and my eyes did not want to believe what they were seeing.

I always thought Carlisle was perfect. I thought he was too good too be true. What I never did think, though, was that he was married.

I gathered my things quickly and quietly. I didn't want the knock down, drag out fight. I just wanted to be gone. I did not want to know that Carlisle was lying to me all this time. I wanted to forget the wedding ring that he had tucked into his pocket. The wedding ring he'd been hiding for six months.

_**Two Months Later...**_

The cubicles were still buzzing even days after the new hire. I'd been out sick for the last four days with the flu so I hadn't had the pleasure of meeting him yet. Apparently, he was a gorgeous thing of a man. Different than the last department manager who was a disgruntled man with unappreciative grown kids who forgot he existed except when they needed money.

We've all heard the same story many times.

I'd heard that Walter was retiring and that they were actively looking for his replacement, but they weren't having much luck. Edward Masen – founder, majority stock holder, and overall God – of Masen Talent was a very hard man to please. Masen Talent was a small, but steadily growing, talent agency and Edward Masen himself sat in on about eighty percent of the interviews to ensure that right person was being hired for whatever position was up for grabs.

However, someone was able to make it past Edward's hard, unwavering gaze and not allow nervousness to screw up thier interview. The lucky guy had started during my second day out. Truthfully, the only reason why I even knew so much about this particular hiring process was because I would be the assistant to whomever they hired, as I was Walter's.

I made my way to the seventh floor, two coffees in hand, to meet Edward. It was a usual morning ritual for us that started about four years ago. I was hired into the company as his assistant...by his father and it wrecked him. Our fathers were fishing buddies and they both knew I needed a job in the worst way. My marketing degree hadn't actually helped land a dream job like school had promised. Edward had just started the firm and needed help. Our fathers knew that we would be a perfect match because my need for perfection would enable Edward's anal retantive ways. Edward resisted out of spite. He made my job hell and almost impossible. To this day, I'm not exactly sure what changed his mind, but he came to the realization that I was just trying to help him grow _his_ company and not take it over. The only reason I was no longer his assistant was because we became too good of friends and work discussions quickly turned into what we did the night before.

"How you feeling, princess?" Edward asked, taking his cup from my hand.

"Ugh. Better, Iguess, but still a little tired. I needed to not be home anymore, though."

"I'm glad to see you back and looking better. You looked like shit the other day," he grimaced.

"Screw you," I laughed. "I'm ready to work, though."

"I bet you are," he said, rolling his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

"I think I made a mistake hiring that new manager. All the women on that floor talk about him nonstop; he's distracting them. It's not too late to take the position, you know," he offered for the fifth time.

"Nope, I'm good. I like playing the dutiful role. Besides, who's going to shape him into the manager that you really want," I laughed. It was always a joke between us that when there was a new hire, I was assigned to them as a trainer of sorts. I slowly morphed them into what Edward needed them to be in the company. It just happened that I was already the new hire's assistant.

"This is true," he conceded. "But this guy is good, though. I actually scouted him, so much training won't be necessary."

"Oh, yeah? From where?" This was news to me.

"From Molina Publishing. He was their marketing director."

Huh. _He_ worked at Molina Publishing. They probably knew each other.

"Nice. I have to get downstairs and get my shit together. My inbox is probably ready to explode," I groaned.

"Sure, go 'head. Let me know if you want to do lunch, princess."

"Will do, king."

I wasn't wrong about my emails. Over a hundred and fifty e-mails in four days. Many of them didn't really concern me but I was included just so I was kept in the loop.

While I deleted, organized, and replied to e-mails I heard the rest of the team trickle into the cubicles. I was always one of the first in.

"Bella! Welcome back!" Angela greeted. "How you feeling?"

"A lot better, thanks. How have things been around here?"

"Okay. The floor certaintly missed you, but I think Carlisle has been a nice distraction."

I could feel my heart rate pick up and my stomach drop to my feet. There was absolutely no way it was the _same_ Carlisle.

"He's a really nice guy – so different than Reeves."

I was about to ask what this Carlisle looked like when the man in question walked out of his office; he'd been in there the whole time. I hadn't even known.

It was Carlisle. My Carlisle. No, I couldn't think of him like that. He wasn't mine. He never was.

My eyes were saucors as they took in the man who I had ghosted, but made me cry for weeks nonetheless. His eyes were equally comical, but he was able to reign it in better and quicker than I was.

"Good morning, Angela," he greeted smoothly while completely ignoring my existance. "I wanted to thank you for your assistance these past couple of days while I got situated. I really couldn't have done it without you." Angela was blushing and I couldn't really blame her. That didn't mean I didn't want to smack the hell out of her either. Carlisle could get it, too, for damn near flirting with his employee.

"It was nothing," she breathed. "I was just trying to help out while Bella was out sick. She'll be a lot more help than I'll ever be."

Okay, that was a nice redemption.

Carlisle was finally forced to acknowledg me. He quirked one light eyebrow in my direction, but turned back to Angela. "That may be true, but you were the one who was here to help me settle in." He was blatantly flirting with her. In front of me and she was eating it up.

"If you'll just excuse me," I said trying to make my way around the pair. I needed air. I needed air and space that wasn't occupied by him.

"Oh wait, Bella!" Angela called before I could leave. "Let me introduce you. This is Car-"

"Mr. Cullen," Carlisle interrupted. He stuck his hand out for a shake. I put my hand in his slowly, not wanting to do it at all. If Angela hadn't been standing there with an already perplexed look on her face, I wouldn't have.

Carlisle – Mr. Cullen – had already drawn a line between us which was fine by me. He already made it known that I would not be treated the same as the rest of the staff which, again, was fine by me.

"I've been told many times what a great asset you are to this floor," he continued. "I'm hoping that you can live up to the hype because I have very high standards for my assistants," he challenged. His smirk was very telling. I may not have known him as well as I thought I knew him, but only an idiot wouldn't be able to decipher that smile. He was going to make my job hell.

"Yes, sir." I kept it simple and I excused myself for the second time. However, instead of making my way to the breakroom like I had initially intended, I made a beeline for the bathroom. Securing the lock on the stall, I sat on the toilet to try to compose myself.

How could this happen? I did my best to avoid him and forget that he ever exisited. I was doing great, too. I only cried for a few weeks before I was able to finally buck up and realize he wasn't the one I thought him to be. Yet, here he was. My new boss. It was heaven and hell all at once.

I could feel my throat tightening up as I tried my best not to cry. This wasn't fair. He broke _my_ heart. He lied to _me_ for months. Now he was invading a work space that was _mine_.

I wiped away the few tears that had managed to surface. If I couldn't get it together for myself, I'd do it for Edward. He needed me to be the employee that helped build Masen Talent.

I faked confidence as I walked back to my desk, thankful that they were both gone. I was only sat for a second before he called my extention.

"Yes, Mr. Cullen?"

"Coffee." It was a simple word but demanding nonetheless. He hung up before I could reply.

It felt demeaning to actually get up and fetch him coffee...but it was my job now, wasn't it.

"Does Mr. Cullen have a certain mug?" I asked Angela, Carlisle's favorite.

"There's a blue one in the cabinet that he likes," she thoughtfully advised.

There was no way...

Sure enough, I opened the cabinet to find the blue mug that I had bought him a month into our relationship. It was a cornflower blue that reminded me of his eyes. Seeing it and holding it in my hands again brought back so many memories from not so long ago.

I wanted to throw it across the room.

Nevertheless, I took the mug and filled it with lukewarm coffee and placed it in the microwave to heat it up a little more. He liked his coffee piping hot. I added the two creamers and one tablespoon of sugar. _Exactly_ how he liked it.

"I think you should add more sugar to that," Angela added in. "I think he likes it sweeter."

"I'll take me chances." I had to remind myself that she was just trying to be helpful and that she was completely unaware, like everyone in this office, of our past relationship.

I walked the hot cup slowly across the cubicles. I knockedly firmly and waited until I was called in. I didn't see a coaster in which to place it on so I grabbed a tissue from the box to put underneath the coffee mug. Carlisle was a stickler for coasters and I was surprised that he didn't have on already.

I could feel as Carlisle – Mr. Cullen – watched everything I did.

"Is there anything else, Mr. Cullen?" I hated how meek my voice sounded. I wanted out of that room, though. I don't think I'd ever be ready to be in the same room as him again.

"No, that's it." No thanks were given; not that I actually expected one.

I turned quickly to leave, but was able to see the look of surprise on his face that I remembered how he took his coffee.

The rest of the week passed much the same as that first day. If I wasn't getting coffee demands, then I was getting assignments that really should have been given to someone on a lower pay grade than myself. I sat around and listened while everyone talked pleasantly to _Carlisle _while I basically had to ask Mr. Cullen if it was okay to take my lunch break at a certain time.

My life was miserable and I hated feeling as sad as I was. It shouldn't have been so hard to be around him. I was over him already. He was a liar and a cheat. I was better off without him so why did it hurt so much that he didn't love me the way I had loved him.

"Hi, princess," Edward greeted over the speaker of my phone. "Are you still coming over to my place tonight?

I was sitting in the breakroom alone. It was rare that there was only one person at a time taking lunch, but because my boss made sure that I was close to starving before I was actually allowed lunch, most of the staff had already eaten. I didn't want to go back to my desk so I figured calling Edward would be a great stalling tactic.

"Can you come to mine instead? I'll cook and you can stay over. Just bring extra clothes for work," I suggested.

"But my place is bigger," he whined.

"And my place is closer. How about we order in and just watch movies?"

"We can do that at my place, you know?"

"Yeah, but my bed is comfier," I countered.

"That is true," he sighed. "Fine. Pizza and beer...you're paying."

"You're the best," I deadpanned.

"I know!" I could practically hear the toothy smile I knew he had on. "I have to go. I'll see you tonight, princess."

"Okay. Love you."

"Love you, too."

A hard throat clearing caused me to look up from my phone. I wish I hadn't. Carlisle was standing at the door all red face and mad looking. I quickly checked the time on my phone to make sure that I hadn't exceeded my lunch hour. I still had twenty minutes left. If he thought I was going to cut it short, he was mistaken.

"It's quite rude to take a personal call and put it on speaker for the world to hear," he graciously informed me. "I'm sure no one cares to hear your plans with your boyfriend totight." I didn't bother to correct him. He could think what he wanted. Just like he never came clean about his marriage, I didn't have to admit to any relationship I was in – or not in. It was no longer his business.

"I apologize. I didn't know anyone else was in the room with me." I had to reign in my anger. He was being rude for not announcing himself when he came into the room to begin with. Why was he sneaking up on people in the first place?

It was awkward being in the same room as him knowing that we both had a whole lot to get off our chests. Or, at least I did. He had to be feeling something about the way I just disappeared from his life as well. However, this obviously wasn't the time or place to hash things out. I didn't think we'd ever really have the opportunity to tell each other what we were really feeling. What we could do, though, was to avoid each other. Tonight I was going to ask Edward for my old position back as his assistant. I may be pulling the friend card, but I needed this for my own sanity. I couldn't continue to keep seeing him everyday and hurting more every time he was able to act as he hadn't played with my heart.

I had spoken with Edward and after he finished reeming me out for not mention anything sooner and threatening to fire Carlisle, he finally agreed to give me back my old position. It would be a swap. His current assistant, Jessica, would become Carlisle's assistant and I would go back with working with Edward. I had to wait a week, though, because he and Jessica were working on a project that he wanted to finish up with her. Not to mention, whatever human resourses had to file the proper paperwork. It was fine with me. I could wait a week.

I was able to get through the day a little easier knowing that Carlisle would soon have a limited presense in my life.

I only had to call him Mr. Cullen for another week. I only had to see him happily chat with everyone around me while he only managed to bark orders at me.

"Hey, Angela?" I called her over. Everyone was mostly gone for the day which was what I was waiting for before I broke the news to her. "Listen, I just wanted to give you the heads up before word got around. I'm transfering back to Mr. Masen on Monday. Jess is coming down here to work for Mr. Cullen."

"What? But...why?" I'm surprised that she was as shocked as she seemed to be. I don't think it passed anyone's attention that I was the only one not allowed to call Carlisle by his first name. Or that we didn't have the personal conversations that had with the rest of the employees. The tension between us was always palpable.

"I think my skills would be better utilized upstairs." It was the best I could offer her.

"Does Carlisle know?"

"I'm not sure if Mr. Cullen knows or not. He'll find out soon enough, though."

Sure enough, the rumors were circulating and the talk already started the next day. The worst of it was that I couldn't keep up with Carlisle's "demanding" ways and that I was jealous he didn't flirt with me. I couldn't roll my eyes hard enough. It was all fine by me, though. They could think what they wanted but only we knew the whole truth.

Six o'clock couldn't come fast enough. I pratically bolted out of my chair and sprinted toward the elevator. I could handle the office talk, but that didn't mean I couldn't tire of it. I wanted to get home and under my blanket.

The elevator doors finally opened and were set to close before a hand forced them open again. I tried to control my annoyance at the intruder.

Of course my luck was shit. Or course I had to ride the elevator down with Mr. Cullen of all people. But I was almost rid of him so I could play nice for the next few days.

" ," I greeted before slinking back to a corner. I received nothing in return and that angered me. Like he had any right to treat me like shit.

The doors were taking too long to close and as the seconds ticked by the angrier I got. Finally, I could feel the elevator go down.

"Why are you transfering off the floor?" he asked without looking from the decending numbers.

"I thought it best given the circumstances," I replied just as stiffly.

"Is that always the best course of action for you? To just leave?" he snarked.

I could feel myself begin to shake with a hatred that I didn't think I've ever felt.

"Maybe I should ask your wife what she would do?" I countered.

I felt the elevator lurch to a sudden stop that caused me stumble backwards. "What the fuck is your problem?" I shouted at him.

He was calm, though. Very much like the Carlisle that I knew.

"Why are you transfering off the floor?" He asked again.

"Because I want to and I can, that's why."

"What makes you so special that you can just up and leave positions without approval first?"

"I did get approval, just not yours. I got it from Mr. Masen. The world doesn't start and stop with you, _Mr. Cullen_."

As if he was being summoned, my phone rang with a call from Edward and just to be a bitch, I put it on speaker.

"Hi, Edward."

"What's up, princess? You called before?"

The look on Carlisle's face was priceless. His face was sheet white and horrified looking.

"Yeah, my dad called me earlier to let me know that he and your dad where going to the cabin this weekend and wanted to know if we were joining them. I told them I'd talk to you about it."

"I don't know, I'll see. It's supposed to rain this weekend."

"That's what I told him but you know how they are."

"Yeah," he laughed. "I'll call you later about this weekend. I have to get going, though. Jess and I are almost done with this scouting project which means that there shouldn't be a hold up with the transfer next week."

I side-eyed Carlisle. Now he knew how serious I was about leaving.

I hated the look I saw on his face – it was one that I hadn't seen before. He looked defeated. Like he might actually give a shit that I wouldn't be his coffee girl anymore.

"How's he treating you anyway?" Edward asked. Carlisle's eyes quickly shot to mine and that's when I decided to take it off speaker.

"It's fine. It's nothing I can't handle; I just don't want to." It was the truth. I could handle the rejection and hurt. Hell, I already did. I just didn't want to handle it again.

"That's my princess! I'll talk to you tonight." With last good-byes we finally hung up.

"Are you sleeping with Mr. Masen?" Carlisle pratically whispered. "Is that how you were able to transfer?"

"Fuck you very much, _Carlisle_." I hated him so muchin this moment. "No, I'm not sleeping Edward. I use to be his assistant."

"I've never called any of my assistants, princess," he pressed on.

"Mr. Cullen," I sighed, already tired of this back and forth. I just wanted to go home. "Why do you even care? You have a whole floor that worships you and an assistant you don't even like or utilize. I'm trying to make everyone's life easier."

"I...umm...I miss you," he whispered. "I don't want you off the floor."

"Don't!" I protested. Tears were instant and unavoidable. "I was over you. I was over what you did to me. I was moving on."

"I'm not...married anymore," he confessed.

"She finally realized what an asshole you were?"

"My wife died three years ago, Bella."

My head turned quickly in his direction. How was...he was...What? There were tears in his eyes as well. I had never seen him cry.

"Esme died of lung cancer...three years ago. I'd been having a rough time letting go. It was Esme and me since we were in high school and I didn't know how to be Carlisle without her. Sometimes it's still hard."

"And sometimes you wear your wedding ring?" I asked for the sake of understanding.

"Yes. Sometimes I pretend that she's just at work or visiting her mother and she'll be back. It helps sometimes to forget."

"And I wasn't enough to help you move on," I clarified because it was the truth.

"No, the exact opposite, actually. You were more than enough and it scared the hell out of me. I didn't want to forget Esme, but I felt like I could finally move on when I was with you. At the time it was a scary thought. I kept my wedding ring with me to remind me. I never meant for you to find it until I was ready to tell you about her."

"Why couldn't you tell me about her from the beginning? What was the worse that I could say or do?" I asked. "Lying to me, keeping me at arms length, making me think that you could love me back...that's the worst that someone can do."

"I don't know, Bella! I didn't know how to handle the situation. I never let myself get close to someone before you. I was going to tell you, though. Maybe not the day you found the wedding ring, but I was going to tell you. I was so confused when I got out of the shower and you were gone. I had to idea where you were or what was going on. It wasn't until I saw my jeans folded on the bed with the ring on top and I realize that you found out." He slid down the wall and sat on the floor. "I tried calling and going to your apartment to explain, but you wouldn't respond or answer the door. Did you know your neighnbor threatened to call the cops if I didn't leave the property?" I shook my head. I really hadn't known about that.

"Why did you take this job? You knew where I worked."

"I did," he confessed. "But it really was dumb luck that Mr. Masen scouted me. I was content with where I was working, but when I found out where Mr. Masen was from, I decided to take that chance. I honestly didn't know that you were going to be my assisitant. I didn't find out until my first day on the job when you were out sick. I was hoping to eventually run into you and maybe talk, but I was unprepared to have you as my assistant. I didn't know what to do with that."

"So treating me like crap was the best course of action?"

"I wasn't trying to treat you like crap, Bella. I was trying to keep work Bella seperate from my Bella until I could sort things out in my head."

"I'm not your Bella. You ruined your chance with you Bella when you lied to me," I redirected him.

"I know," he confirmed.

I slid down to the ground with him. I realized that I could have easily started the elevator again and leave the confined space with him, but I knew that if we didn't finish this today we never would.

"I loved you," I finally told him.

"I still love you," he replied back.

My gasping cries couldn't be contained. "So then why did you do that to me, Carlisle?"

I hadn't even heard him move, but before I knew it, he was holding me, comforting me from the devestation that he caused.

"I wasn't ready then, Bella," he cried. "I thought I was. I thought being able to finally have you over was the final step, but it was hard having you there. I felt like it was a betrayal to my wife and when I realized I was still thinking of my deceased wife's feeling while I had you in my bed, I knew that my mind still wasn't in the right place."

"So why didn't you ask me to leave? Why have me stick around knowing that I was falling for you, but you couldn't return my feelings."

"Because at the end of the day, I'm still a selfish person. I _couldn't_ let Esme go, but I didn't _want_ to let you go."

"You hurt me, Carlisle. I didn't deserve that."

"I know, sweetheart."

"I don't trust you, Carlisle. I don't think I can."

"I'm not asking you to trust me, but I am asking you to give me the chance to earn it."

"How? How do we come back from something like this?"

"Get to know me, Bella. I want you to know me. Not just the parts that I allowed you to know or the parts not important enough to hide."

We sat quietly on the elvator floor. He was pleading with me for another chance and me uncertain if I had it in me to give. Was it really in my best interest to put myself out on the line again? What if I got hurt yet again. What if Carlisle was just telling me what he thought I wanted to hear.

Was taking a chance worth it?A few months ago I really thought Carlisle was the one. We had great chemistry. We were good friends with a lot in common. We had something good before this lie was revealed.

Could we do it again?

There was only one way to find out.

"Tell me about your wife, Carlisle."

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